1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slider that can be used as a body board, a snow board, a grass sliding board, a sand sliding board, or other board.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditional sliders have been used as snow boards, and have increased in popularity as more and more people are seeking snow-related outdoor activities. Examples of such traditional sliders are illustrated in Pub. No. US2003/0224675 (Yeh) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,913 (Szabad, Jr.). U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,860 (D'Luzansky et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,370 (Moran) illustrate body boards that can be used for water sports.
All of these known sliders and body boards are essentially provided in the form of a simple board having a generally flat upper surface and a generally flat and smooth lower surface. One reason why these sliders have a generally flat and smooth lower surface is because these sliders are typically made by laminating one or more layers of material (e.g., polyethylene) on to a foam core. As a result, it is very difficult and expensive to form a lower surface having a shape and a surface that is anything other than flat and smooth. In addition, the use of this manufacturing method also means that the handles provided for these sliders must be made as separate components and then attached (e.g., with a snap-fit top and bottom handle housing) to the slider.
When these sliders are used as snow boards, the flat and smooth lower surface provides little friction or resistance, so that the user is not able to control or maneuver the slider. As a result, these sliders tend to spin in the snow if an unexpected force is imparted on to any part of the slider. As another result, the user positioned on and moving with the slider is unable to turn or otherwise maneuver the slider.
Therefore, there still remains a need for a slider that overcomes the drawbacks set forth above.